July 2003

A LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT AND THE FUTURE!

BY NADJI TEHRANI

THE PAST
As we begin the celebration of 22 years of publishing excellence in the CRM and contact center industry, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on our beginnings and how we got to where we are today. Although we were unaware of it at the time, Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) literally laid the foundation of the telemarketing, CRM and Customer Interaction Soltuions industries with the launch in June 1982 of this pioneering publication, then called Telemarketing'. TMC also launched the industry's first official conference and expo in April 1985, which was called TBT (Telemarketing And Business Telecommunications). Together, Telemarketing' and TBT became the world's first and most preeminent sources of information on the industry and were responsible for training the first and second generations of telemarketing, CRM and call center practitioners. In fact, the Wall Street Journal called Telemarketing' magazine 'The Bible of the Industry.' It was also referred to as 'The Standard Industry Source' by Fortune magazine and 'The Only Credible Source of Information' by Alex Fraser of Hewlett-Packard. We are indeed humbled by these great testimonials coming from the most prestigious sources.
The industry as a whole deserves the accolades. This is an industry that has grown from obscurity to world-class global prominence. From zero revenue to a multibillion-dollar industry, from zero employment to three percent of the American workforce, from the concept of telemarketing to the call center to the contact center to CRM to e-CRM and e-sales and e-service.

In June 1982 when Telemarketing' magazine was launched, I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that this industry would someday attract so much worldwide acceptance. I wouldn't have guessed that literally hundreds of billions of dollars would someday be transacted through the phone. I wouldn't have guessed that someday we would see regular advertising on major television stations for CRM products. I wouldn't have guessed that three percent of the U.S. workforce would eventually be employed by the industry, and I certainly wouldn't have thought that former Vice President Al Gore, ' the next U.S. President for a short while,' would keynote TMC's Communications Solutions' EXPO in the spring of 2001. Mr. Gore's participation in an event centered around the world of call center, contact center, CRM and communications showed how far we've come as an industry.

THE PRESENT
Industry At A Crossroads, United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Exclusive Coverage Of FTC Regulations
In the last five issues of this publication (February ' June 2003), Richard Tehrani and I have EXCLUSIVELY WRITTEN eight major editorials and cover stories defending the industry against the unfortunate, ill-advised, unfair and extremely damaging FTC ruling against telemarketing, call centers and other electronic forms of marketing. See Richard's and my editorials at www.tmcnet.com under past issues.

3-5 Million Jobs Jeopardized!
In the above mentioned editorials, it was clearly pointed out that telemarketing is the most effective marketing, job-producing and job- protecting tool known to mankind. As such, the telemarketing industry employs 3-5 million Americans. We clearly demonstrated that the FTC's unfortunate regulations came as a result of lack of information and proper industry representation.
 

Industry At A Crossroads!
As the old saying goes, 'United we stand, divided we fall!' Our industry is truly at a crossroads.
Our options are as follows:
1. Do nothing and let the bureaucrats in Washington outlaw all forms of modern marketing and, thus through ignorance, destroy the U.S. economy by keeping it in permanent depression.
-OR-
2. Let us act as a united front. Do your share by filling out the questionnaire on our Web site (www.tmcnet.com/cis/actionplan.pdf).

As the industry's leading publisher since 1982, we at TMC are engaged heavily in a variety of activities that help to promote and facilitate the accomplishment of all of the following objectives. We are proud to be the only publication that actually gives a damn about our industry!

Here Is What We Need To Do As A United Industry That Is Supporting 3-5 Million Jobs In The U.S.
1) Improve our image jointly with the DMA & ATA.
2) We need a massive and highly effective PR campaign.
3) Have proper representation at all associations.
4) Better inform legislators.
5) Encourage others to participate and not 'stick their heads in sand.'
6) We need your input.
7) We need to defend the industry.
8) Fight the unfair regulations.
9) We need a true action plan.

• Please help us by filling out the forms at www.tmcnet.com/ cis/actionplan.pdf
• Our industry gets millions of people off of unemployment, gives jobs to the disabled or otherwise unemployable people and helps them with new opportunities and gainful employment.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Write letters to your Congres-sional representatives. You will find their names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses on www. webcom.com/~leavitt/cong.html.
• Educate your lawmakers on the number of jobs and sales you contribute to the U.S. economy.
• Donate time to make calls to lawmakers.
• Get your large customers with name recognition to write letters affirming their need for teleservices.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO HELP

• Help us create an ACTION PLAN.
• Don't assume others will take care of the problem for you! They won't!
• Support the ATA and the DMA.
• We need self-recognition more than anything else.
• We need to vastly improve the image of our industry. Let everyone know that:
  - We produce millions of jobs and billions in taxes.
  - We boost the economy.
  - We work for charities.
  - We employ people that other industries consider unemployable (handicapped, single parents, elderly, military spouses, students, etc.).

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE TELESERVICES AGENCIES' CONTRIBUTIONS
We Need To Tell The Lawmakers:

• The teleservices industry DIRECTLY GENERATES 1.3 million jobs.
• It INDIRECTLY generates millions more beyond that!
• The industry is responsible for $40 billion of sales per year, and contributes HUGE AMOUNTS of tax dollars.
• Brings jobs to rural areas that would otherwise have NO JOBS.
• Most CHARITY MONEY is raised by teleservices agencies.
• Most POLITICAL FUNDS are raised with the assistance of teleservices agencies.
• PLEASE make sure you fill out our 'Action Plan' form and return it to:
  Tracey Schelmetic
  Fax Number (203) 866-3326
  Or e-mail responses to tschelmetic@tmcnet.com

Tomorrow
To be sure, much has changed in CRM, contact centers, telemarketing and customer interaction centers in recent years. What worked yesterday, doesn't work today.

Some of the factors which have contributed to the explosive changes are as follows:
1. Rapid technological innovations in CRM, inbound and outbound technologies and related impact.
2. The impact of offshore outsourcing and related challenges.
3. The impact of FTC and FCC regulations on our industry.
4. The current economic conditions.

To provide in-depth analysis and adequate coverage of the above important matters, I intend to cover them in future issues. Please stay tuned!
As always, I welcome your constructive comments. You may e-mail me at ntehrani@tmcnet.com.

Sincerely,

Nadji Tehrani
TMC Chairman, CEO and
Executive Group Publisher
ntehrani@tmcnet.com

[Return To The July 2003 Table Of Contents]